118 HUNTING-LEOPARDS. 



often as quickly vanish in a ravine as though they had sunk 

 into the earth. A good buck's head makes a pretty trophy. 

 I have shot these gazelles in the Punjab, with horns close on 

 fourteen inches long; and, I believe, they rarely attain a 

 greater length. 



The dark glossy coat with pure white trimmings, long 

 spiral horns, and elegant carriage of the male Indian antelope 

 (Antilope bezoartica), or " black buck," as he is usually termed, 

 makes him certainly the most beautiful of all Indian animals, 

 though perhaps he may be the most common for these ante- 

 lopes in some parts congregate at times in large bands, when 

 they may be counted by thousands together. But they are 

 usually met with in small herds, and often an old black 

 fellow is found alone. 



By native potentates they are sometimes hunted with the 

 " cheetah," or hunting-leopard. The cheetah is conveyed to 

 the ground to be hunted over on a common native bullock- 

 cart, to which he is fastened by a strap round his loins, his 

 eyes being blindfolded with a kind of hood. The cart is 

 driven up as near as possible to a herd of antelopes. Should 

 the cheetah get restless on the cart, a lump of cheese or some 

 such stuff, with which his keeper is provided, is given the 

 beast to lick. On nearing the herd the strap is unbuckled, 

 his head turned towards his quarry, and the hood slipped off 

 his eyes, when away he goes. Should he fail in seizing an 

 animal after a few rapid bounds, he lies down and sulks, 

 making no attempt to follow it. If he has been successful, 

 his keeper bleeds the deer, catching the blood in a ladle. 

 Whilst the cheetah is occupied in lapping up the blood from 

 the ladle, the hood is slipped over his eyes and he is replaced 

 on the cart. 



The hunting-leopard (Fdis jubata) is quite distinct from the 

 common leopard (Felis pardus), or panther, as it is as often 

 called, and by the hill-men " cheetooa." The former animal 

 is more slightly made, lighter in colour, and its markings are 



